| Secretary of State of Illinois | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Term length | 4 years, unlimited term |
| Inaugural holder | Elias Kane |
| Formation | 1818; 207 years ago (1818) |
| Succession | Third |
| Website | Official Website |
Thesecretary of state of Illinois is one of the six elected executive state offices of thegovernment of Illinois, and one of the 47secretaries of state in the United States. The Illinois secretary of state keeps the state records, laws, library, and archives, and is the state'scorporation registration,vehicle registration anddriver licensing authority. The current secretary of state isAlexi Giannoulias, aDemocrat who took office in 2023.
The secretary of state, in accordance with the state constitution, is keeper of the official acts of the General Assembly, the official records of the executive branch, and theGreat Seal of Illinois.[1] These duties have remained unchanged since Illinois became aU.S. state in 1818.[2] The secretary alsoregisterscorporations andlobbyists, commissionsnotaries public, andregulates thesecurities industry, among connected responsibilities.[3][4][5]
Thesecretary of state performs other duties prescribed by law. For instance, the secretary oversees the state archives and the state library. The State Archives serves as the official depository of state agency and local government records that possess administrative, legal, or historic research value.[6] The State Library houses more than 5,000,000 items, and other informational resources, and oversees a consortium of academic and regional libraries in the state.[7] In addition, the secretary is the custodian of theIllinois State Capitol and all state buildings.[8]
By statute, the secretary of state is also tasked with issuinglicenses to Illinois drivers and registeringmotor vehicles operated in the state, effectively making the secretary of state's office thedepartment of motor vehicles, though that phrase is not used in Illinois.[9][10] Enforcement of these duties has made the secretary of state's office a key bureau in the enforcement of laws againstdriving under the influence.[11] Illinois is one of only three states to put the secretary of state in charge ofmotor vehicle registration, the other two beingMaine andMichigan.
Aside from routine responsiblilities, the secretary of state is third (behind thelieutenant governor andattorney general, respectively) in theline of succession to the office ofGovernor of Illinois.[12][13]
The Secretary of State Police of Illinois is a statewide police force, established in 1913; it is responsible for enforcing the laws of the Illinois Vehicle Code such as regulating businesses involved with the sale of motor vehicles and vehicle parts. Its main purpose is to protect consumers against fraud through adherence to state statutes.
The Secretary of State Police also investigates identity theft, maintains statewide vehicle inspection stations, investigates statewide vehicle thefts, provides statewide school bus regulation, enforces traffic and parking violations and provides law enforcement to all secretary of state facilities.[14]
The Secretary of State Police also maintains theIllinois State Capitol Police, responsible for policing theIllinois State Capitol Complex inSpringfield, including both the Capitol and 16 surrounding state buildings. The force was created following a 2004 incident in which an unarmed security guard was shot and killed.[15][16] The force has an authorised strength of 60 officers.[17]
The secretary of state's office occupies three buildings of theIllinois State Capitol Complex inSpringfield. Many of the secretary of state's workers assigned to motor vehicle and licensing duties work in the Howlett Building, south of the Capitol. The Howlett Building is named after former secretary of stateMichael Howlett. The State Archives are housed in the Norton Building, southwest of the Capitol. The Illinois State Library is located in the Brooks Library, east of the Capitol, which is named for longtime statePoet LaureateGwendolyn Brooks, winner of thePulitzer Prize in 1950.
In addition, the secretary of state operates 136 Driver Services license-issuing facilities statewide and maintains its own police force. Established in 1913, their duties include enforcement of the Illinois Vehicle Code on businesses regulated by the secretary of state and maintaining public safety, traffic control and assisting other law enforcement agencies.
The secretary of state, to be eligible to take the oath of office, must be a United States citizen of at least 25 years of age, and a resident of Illinois for at least three years preceding the election.
On January 9, 2023,Jesse White, aDemocrat, completed his sixth term as the 37th secretary of state, the firstAfrican-American in the position and by far longest-serving secretary in Illinois history. Before being elected Secretary of State in November 1998, White had been an elected office-holder fromChicago since 1974. White, who decided to retire at the end of his sixth term at the age of 88, was succeeded byAlexi Giannoulias, who won the2022 election and became the 38th secretary.
The secretary of state before White wasGeorge Ryan, aRepublican fromKankakee, Illinois. He held the office from 1991 to 1999, when he becameGovernor of Illinois. Ryan's tenure as secretary of state led to his downfall in the "licenses for bribes" scandal: after a majorautomobile accident in Wisconsin that killed six children, investigators discovered that unqualifiedtruck drivers were receivingdrivers licenses in exchange for bribes. Ryan chose not to run for re-election in 2002, and in 2006, he was convicted of fraud, including using his authority as secretary of state to end his office's internal investigation after it discovered the scheme.
This is a list of all the people who have served asIllinois Territorial Secretary[18] and people who have served as Illinois Secretary of State.[19]
| # | Image | Name | Term | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Nathaniel Pope | 1809-1816 | Democratic-Republican |
| 2 | Joseph Phillips | 1816–1818 | Democratic-Republican | |
| 3 |  | Elias Kane | 1818–1822 | Democratic-Republican |
| 4 |  | Samuel D. Lockwood | 1822–1823 | Democratic-Republican |
| 5 | David Blackwell | 1823–1824 | Democratic-Republican | |
| 6 | Morris Birkbeck | 1824–1825 | Democratic-Republican | |
| 7 | George Forquer | 1825–1828 | Democratic-Republican | |
| 8 | Alexander Pope Field | 1829–1840 | Democratic | |
| 9 |  | Stephen A. Douglas | 1840–1841 | Democratic |
| 10 |  | Lyman Trumbull | 1841–1843 | Democratic |
| 11 |  | Thompson Campbell | 1843–1846 | Democratic |
| 12 | Horace S. Cooley | 1846–1850 | Democratic | |
| 13 |  | David L. Gregg | 1850–1853 | Democratic |
| 14 | Alexander Starne | 1853–1857 | Democratic | |
| 15 |  | Ozias M. Hatch | 1857–1865 | Republican |
| 16 | Sharon Tyndale | 1865–1869 | Republican | |
| 17 | Edward Rummel | 1869–1873 | Republican | |
| 18 | George H. Harlow | 1873–1881 | Republican | |
| 19 | Henry D. Dement | 1881–1889 | Republican | |
| 20 |  | Isaac N. Pearson | 1889–1893 | Republican |
| 21 | .jpg) | William H. Hinrichsen | 1893–1897 | Democratic |
| 22 | .png) | James A. Rose | 1897–1912 | Republican |
| 23 | Cornelius J. Doyle | 1912–1913 | Republican | |
| 24 |  | Harry Woods | 1913–1914 | Democratic |
| 25 |  | Lewis Stevenson | 1914–1917 | Democratic |
| 26 | .jpg) | Louis Lincoln Emmerson | 1917–1929 | Republican |
| 27 | .jpg) | William J. Stratton | 1929–1933 | Republican |
| 28 | .jpg) | Edward J. Hughes | 1933–1944 | Democratic |
| 29 | .jpg) | Richard Yates Rowe | 1944–1945 | Republican |
| 30 | .jpg) | Edward J. Barrett | 1945–1953 | Democratic |
| 31 | .jpg) | Charles F. Carpentier | 1953–1964 | Republican |
| 32 | William H. Chamberlain | 1964–1965 | Democratic | |
| 33 | .jpg) | Paul Powell | 1965–1970 | Democratic |
| 34 |  | John W. Lewis Jr. | 1970–1973 | Republican |
| 35 |  | Michael Howlett | 1973–1977 | Democratic |
| 36 |  | Alan J. Dixon | 1977–1981 | Democratic |
| 37 | .jpg) | Jim Edgar | 1981–1991 | Republican |
| 38 | .jpg) | George Ryan | 1991–1999 | Republican |
| 39 | .jpg) | Jesse White | 1999–2023 | Democratic |
| 40 | | Alexi Giannoulias | 2023–present | Democratic |
The official motto of the state of Illinois is "StateSovereignty - National Union". The Illinois secretary of state in 1867,Sharon Tyndale, as the keeper of theGreat Seal of Illinois, had it re-engraved so that the word "sovereignty" was upside down. This 1867 seal redesign continues in use to this day, and can be seen, among other places, as the principal device on theflag of Illinois.
 Illinois statewide elected officials | |
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